Entertainment
'Breaking Amish' Season 3 Cast All Have Different Reasons for Leaving the Amish World Behind
Take MTV's The Real World, put it in a blender with the Amish community, and add a dash of New York City. What do you get? Breaking Amish! The cast of TLC's third season of Breaking Amish are on their way to Brooklyn, N.Y. and believe me when I say they have absolutely no idea where they are or what they're doing. The trash on the sidewalks and graffiti are just a few things that shock these Amish newcomers.
While Vonda thinks New York is one of the most amazing places she's even been, Barbie is skeptical. "Am I going to die here," Barbie says in the Season 3 trailer. This season promises no shortage of thrills, I can promise you that. Mathias, who you'll soon find out more about, is seen with his palm on a girl's butt at a bar. Bates is seen making out with a girl (Oh, by the way, he has a girlfriend). I won't give it all away but I'll just say there's plenty of drinking, partying, tears, and a heaping helping of drama. Hope you're hungry! Check out what I learned about the cast of this new season of Breaking Amish from their TLC bio videos.
Images: TLC
Mathias
Okay, so this is Mathias, the brooding 21-year-old Amish aspiring country music singer? I know you’re not supposed to play favorites but, ding ding ding! Mathias hasn’t fully been accepted by the fellow patrons of his Amish church because of the fact that he has darker skin. Apparently, whispered remarks like “little brown Amish boy” were not uncommon when he was younger. According to Mathias, the Amish people consider music a “cheap thrill” and “vain,” but he’s chosen to take solace in it. The Johnny Cash fan recently married a Mennonite girl and has a daughter on the way. He must now balance supporting his family, pursuing a music career, and coming to accept his dark Bulgarian skin tone.
Image: TLC
Miriam
Have you ever heard of an Amish feminist? Because you’re looking at one. She’s quoted as saying, “I want my son to grow up knowing that a woman is just as good as any man.” Miriam, 26, has been shunned by her community for announcing a pregnancy outside of wedlock, in addition to continued disobedience of the Amish ways. She wasn’t allowed to eat meals at the table with her family or interact with them in any way. Her motives for going to New York are primarily to decide which is the better world for her son to be raised in — the traditional Amish world, or the “English” world — a line she’s been straddling for the last eight years. Her sister, who lives in the English world, has been a major drawing point and her only support system. Miriam, clearly fed up with the strict limitations of her life in her community, is breaking out. ”Men and women have set roles, and you can’t stray from those roles,” she said. “I want more for myself, I want more from my son.”
Image: TLC
Bates
Bates, 21, is just like us. He goes out. He drinks. He shaves his head? After going out and getting drunk with friends, he returned with a new haircut, a mohawk, an act which prompted his family to oust him from his home. He now lives in the loft of a barn. Bates described the mohawk as symbol of rebellion and a way to prove that he was his own person. His ex-Amish girlfriend is just one additional reason contributing to his decision to break away from his community. From a young age, Bates never felt comfortable, “I grew up with a feeling that I don’t belong here…I always felt like there’s gotta be more out there.”
Image: TLC
Meet Barbie
Okay, she’s named Barbie so you know you’re already on board! This 22-year-old preacher’s daughter from Kentucky is tired of constantly being watched. Her father’s profession makes her feel as if everyone is always watching her. “I can’t be myself,” she said, “I gotta be what they want me to be.” Living in one of the strictest Amish communities in the country means Barbie has no choices over what to wear, eat, do, and think. She wants to be able to decide when she’s able to do the things she wants to do, like fall in love for example, something an Amish community member is not allowed to do until they join the church.
Image: TLC
Meet Vonda
Vonda, 29, is the oldest member of the Breaking Amish cast. It’s important to note that at one point she was happy with her life in the Amish community, and was planning on marrying her Amish boyfriend. After he passed away from cancer, Vonda was heartbroken. Years later, she works two jobs cleaning rooms at a hotel and cleaning offices in an office building. This means long hours and lots of tedious work, the same thing every day the same way. Vonda is willing to risk being shunned by her family and community to find herself in New York City.
Image: TLC
